Amazon has unveiled the Amazon Echo, a cylindrical voice-recognition gadget that essentially acts as a Siri for your entire household.
Unveiled through a typically cringeworthy YouTube video that sees a couple of kids using it to tell each other jokes and a father asking it how to spell cantaloupe, the Amazon Echo utilizes far-field technology that allows it to hear you from anywhere in the room, providing you with news updates, weather reports and more.
The Amazon Echo comes with a number of useful features, such as being able to update users’ shopping and to-do lists, browse Wikipedia to retrieve information on certain subjects through the Cloud (meaning that it is frequently updated), set alarm clocks and play music.
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The device also “learns” more about you the more you use it, adapting to your speech patterns and personal preferences. For those with privacy concerns regarding the device, Amazon notes that it only listens in to your conversation once you say a user-created password.
The Echo is also Bluetooth-enabled, allowing you to stream popular music services like Spotify, iTunes, and Pandora from your smartphone or tablet. A free Echo companion app will also be provided for Fire OS and Android browsers, along with desktop and iOS browsers, allowing you to manage those shopping lists and alarms while on the go.
Amazon Echo can be purchased from Amazon for $199, with it available to Prime subscribers for $99. You can register for an invitation to buy it right here.
